How to Build a Powerful Team

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, you know what it means to build a business from the ground up. It takes innovative thinking, ingenuity, and a ton of hard work to create a successful business.

Many small business owners are very protective of their vision because they know exactly where they want to take their business. However, sooner or later, most entrepreneurs recognize that they need help to grow.

They may work 80 hours a week, but it’s going to take a team to meet the demands of their business.

If you’re ready to start growing your team, here are some ideas to help give you the skills to find an incredible team and the knowledge to create a productive work environment.

Avoid the Hero Complex and Build a Team

You may be the type of person who does everything for themselves. You trust yourself the most, you’re the one who best understands your vision, and you’re the best person to see that vision come to fruition.

That’s a good plan if you have a very small business that depends solely on your efforts and you want it to stay that way. There are some small businesses that one person can run.

However, if you want to expand your business significantly, you will need help from others.

For most businesses, great success arises from having an incredible team of workers - a group of people who:

• Understand and share your values • Have a strong work ethic • Have the skills to push things forward

Have you ever heard of “superhero syndrome?”

Superhero syndrome means you feel that you’re the only one who can do things well, and you should be the one doing everything.

If you’re an entrepreneur, establishing a good team is key to your overall success.

How to Find Good People

You know you need help, but how do you decide what’s missing from your business?

Before you can hire the perfect team, you’ll need to determine what type of help you need.

Do you need employees who can take over some of your responsibilities, or do you need to hire people with specific expertise that you don’t currently have?

At some point, you’ll probably need some of both.

Determine What Your Business Is Missing

Here are some quick and simple ways to know when it’s time to expand:

• You’re not able to do big tasks because you’re spending all your time on rote work or focusing on small details. • Your customers are not getting the attention they need. • You have steady, consistent work - not just a week or two of intense work. • You or your current staff are consistently overworked and frustrated. • Hiring new people will increase revenue. • You’re turning down work because you can’t keep up. • It would help if you had someone to do a specialized task. • You’re making enough money to hire employees.

Having a few busy weeks doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to hire additional employees. Taking on a full-time employee would be a mistake if you can’t provide them with ongoing work. You don’t want to pay a salary to someone who is not consistently working.

If you need occasional help finishing a project, you may want to look into freelance workers or contractors. You can also hire consultants to help with specialized skills.

However, if you have enough money in the budget and a new employee will help increase revenue, it’s probably a good time to bring on a new hire.

You may only need part-time help initially, but as your business continues to grow, those positions will turn into full-time work. 